Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

How to use chat in Mail

I have an outstanding thread with lots of questions about OS X's Mail and I feel it's getting nowhere but me sking more questions in the same thread.

SO can someone explain to me how the chat function works? I CAN log onto iChat and talk with my gmail contacts...but I want to do it in Mail. Do I have to sign on to iChat? If I have to do that why not just sign onto regular gmail?

thanks!

MacBook Pro 2.2 C2D, 4GB RAM, 250 GB HDD, Mac OS X (10.6.8), iBook G4 1.3 Ghz 120GB 7200 RPM HDD 1.5GB Ram, Gen1 iPad

Posted on Aug 9, 2011 6:35 PM

Best reply

Ralph-Johns-UK

Level 9

76,795 points

Posted on Aug 11, 2011 3:12 PM

Hi,

In Mail you can go to the View Menu > Columns and chose to Chow the Chat Bubble column.

This will then show if a Buddy is On-line if you get an Email from them.

You can use the same Menu > Customise Tool Bar and put a Chat icon in the Header (Tool Bar) section of Mail
This can then be used to Connect in iChat to a Buddy that you have the Chat info on (Of course they have to be On line)

You are probably right that it easier to do it in GMail's Web page, particularly if your Buddies are not using iChat for Video and Audio Chats.

11:12 PM Thursday; August 11, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

View in context

18 replies

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

115,970 points

Aug 13, 2011 5:23 PM in response to bobsbarricades

bobsbarricades wrote:

But I do understand how it would then cost money but.... there are so many dictionaries on the iOS devices that you would think it'd be a little easier.

You are perhaps confusing spellchecking dictionaries with reference/translation dictionaries. There is really no connection between the two. You can add as many spell checking dictionaries as you want, and they are free of charge, via links I provided earlier. Reference/translation dictionaries are part of Dictionary.app, have no role in spell checking, and if of any serious quality must normally be purchased from a publisher.

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

115,970 points

Aug 13, 2011 5:28 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

The language pane in system prefs/language & text mostly determines the language of the user interface for the OS and apps. Spell checking is determined independently by the spelling item in the text pane. What language is typed is determined independently by choices made in the input sources pane. So if you want it is perfectly possible to have the OS running in Chinese, type things in English, and have the words spell checked as if they were French.

Aug 14, 2011 11:05 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Ahh,

Sounds like it might be useful but ultimately is not.

Thanks for clearing up my rash of fuzzy thinking.

7:05 PM Sunday; August 14, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

How to use chat in Mail